COMMUNITY-LINKS

COUNCIL ON AGING

It is the mission of the Senior Center Council on Aging to identify the total needs of the community's Senior Citizens, to link to those needs and to improve the quality of life of our seniors by providing an active outreach program, providing inter-generational opportunities, opportunities for community involvement, and providing services as needed.

Senior Center Phone: 508-882-5251

Oakham would like to express a sincere thank you to the Worcester County Sheriff's Office for their efforts and assistance in beautifying our Senior Center. The COA extends its appreciation to Sheriff Lewis Evangelidis, Lt. Steve Hynes and Officer Mike Mastrorio for meetings our needs and giving great support to our project and to the seniors.

Birthday Celebrations

All seniors celebrating a birthday during this month are invited to join the Council on Aging for a complimentary lunch at the Back Door Café. Reservations are necessary and need to be placed by calling 508-882-5251 during open hours.

If you wish to bring a guest, please make an extra reservation. All orders must be placed 48 hours prior to the lunch. There is a suggested donation of $2 for all guests not celebrating a birthday.

We look forward to meeting and extending our best wishes to the following:

Our best wishes to all of our birthday celebrants, enjoy a special day with family and friends.

FILE OF LIFE

The file of life holders, card inserts and stickers are now available at the senior center during open hours for a $1.00 donation each to help defray our costs. This is an important program for anyone with specific and important health issues and requirements, not just seniors. These packets, which contain your updated health information, should be placed in your home on the refrigerator and in the glove compartment of your car(s) to inform emergency personnel of your prescriptions and allergies in case of an accident or other life threatening incidents. Your health could depend on it.

HOUSE NUMBERS

We are still accepting orders for new house number signs provided through the Sheriff's Dep't.'s. Order through the COA by completing the order form and dropping off at the SeniorCenter in the drop-off box located in back of the Town Hall next to the green door.The first set of orders should be in by the time this edition of the Herald is received.

OLD CELL PHONES

We have collected approximately 20 old cell phones and we would like to collect several more. Please drop them off at the SeniorCenter or give to one of the COA members. We have given out two 911 cell phones already. If you or someone you know would like one, please contact the COA.

Preparing for an Emergency

Emergency supply kit:

flashlight and extra batteries

portable radio or NOAA weather radio with extra batteries

charged cell phone

first aid kit

essential prescription medicines

non-perishable food

manual can opener

water (one gallon per person/per day)

pet items

extra blankets and sleeping bags

fire extinguisher

Fall Prevention Program

Each year, thousands of seniors fall at home.Last year alone, 20,800 people over the age of 65 died due to falling.2.5 million were treated in emergency departments because of home falls.

Most of these falls could have been prevented simply by using caution and fixing hazards in our home.It is up to us to ensure our own safety to the best of our ability.

Winter is a time for a large amount of falls – outside and inside our homes.

As part of our fall-prevention program, we are initiating a bucket-of-sand project.Buckets of non-salted sand will be provided to any senior who would like one. It will be delivered to your home and should be kept near the exit that you most frequently use when leaving your home.These buckets have covers and scoops for easy spreading on those mornings when black ice or sleet have covered the walkways. Buckets need to be kept in a fairly dry place.If the sand gets wet and then freezes, it will become unusable.

Call 508-882-3358 or the Back Door Café at 508-882-5251 if you wish to receive a bucket.

This program is co-sponsored by the Oakham Council on Aging, the Oakham Cub Scouts and the Oakham Highway Department.Thank you to all for your help.

Safety Checklist

Use this Home Fall-Prevention Checklist to help find and fix hazards in your home.

Floors – Be sure all floors and pathways are free of obstructions which could cause you to trip and fall.

Stairs and steps – Remove ALL objects from stairs and landings.Is carpet firmly attached to each step?Secure carpet or remove and apply rubber treads to the stairs.Check that handrails are secure.Review that stairway lighting is sufficient.

Kitchen – Keep things that you use often on lower shelves.Is you step stool level and sturdy? Get one with a bar to hold on to.NEVER use a chair.

Bathroom – Is the tub slippery?Put a no-slip mat or self-stick strips on the floor.Have grad bars installed in the tub or shower area and around the toilet.

Slippers- This is really important. Are you sure that your slippers fit snuggly.Loose slippers are dangerous and lead to many falls.

Pets – walk carefully when your pet is close at hand.They like to be near you, but can easily cause you to fall.Pay attention to your surroundings before walking.

By paying attention to some of these details, perhaps we can reduce the number of falls that we experienced last year.We wish you all a safe and healthy winter